USA / BOLIVIA – The Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Bolivia begins its deployment today for the presidential runoff elections to be held on Sunday, October 19.
Led once more by former Colombian minister of the interior Juan Fernando Cristo, the Mission comprises 83 specialists and observers from 19 countries. During the direct observation phase, the team will be present in all of the country’s nine departments, as well as in 4 cities overseas.
The OAS/EOM will continue to observe key aspects of the electoral process, including electoral organisation and technology, electoral justice, and electoral violence. The Mission will also meet with electoral and government authorities, candidates, political leaders, and representatives of civil society and the international community to gather information on the ongoing electoral process.
The Mission reiterates the findings included in its preliminary report on the August general elections, which highlighted the commitment of the TSE Plenary to the timely and orderly conduct of the elections, as well as the dedication and professionalism of its technical staff. Looking ahead to the runoff, the Mission stresses that ensuring a sound electoral process is the responsibility of all branches of the Bolivian State, as well as the presidential tickets and other political actors in the country. This responsibility includes combining efforts to ensure that the electoral authority is able to carry out its work independently and free from external pressure.
Following the runoff, the OAS Mission will present a second preliminary report with its observations and recommendations aimed at strengthening future electoral processes in Bolivia.
This is the 24th occasion on which the OAS has deployed an Electoral Observation Mission in Bolivia. The Mission is made possible thanks to the financial support of Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Peru, Spain and the United States.